About last night …

If the Canadiens play like that at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night …
Well, it just doesn’t bear thinking about, does it?
On the other hand, there’s a pretty good chance Carey Price will get the start against the Leafs.
So there’s hope for another crucial divisional win.
But give Phil Kessel those kinds of scoring chances …
Again, though, we can postpone that nightmare for a couple days.

For 40 minutes in Ottawa, the Canadiens looked like a team headed for a downward, Acapulco cliff dive in the Eastern Conference standings.

They were awful. Worst I’ve seen them play this season. And in view of some recent stinkeroos, that’s saying something.

But Price – playing what more than a few pundits on Twitter called the best game of his NHL career – kept it close.

Two points, and on to Toronto – where a fair bit of baggage will be sliding down the carousel at Pearson late Thursday night.

The gang on L’Antichambre began the telecast by listing Canadiens who could hold their heads high:

The goaltender, of course. It wasn’t just the 44 shots Price faced. Tampa Bay put 45 on him in a 2-1 Shootout loss at the Bell Centre in November. Carolina had 42 in winning 5-4 in OT on New Year’s Eve.

But neither the Lightning nor Hurricanes had the quality of shots Price faced at the Canadian Tire Centre. By conservative estimate, the Senators had 20 gilt-edged scoring chances.

Through the first two periods, the Senators skated through the Canadiens’ D like a hot knife through … I’d better go with “butter” because a scatological reference would be inappropriate in a family blog.

There was poor gap control. The Canadiens gave up the blueline too easily. Unhindered by anything resembling physical resistance, the Senators owned the slot and fired at will.

Price was heroic. He had no chance on the four Ottawa goals.

The list of Canadiens who didn’t totally suck also included:

• P.K. Subban, who played 27:25, scored the winner and had three shots on goal, plus five that were blocked.

• Tomas Plekanec, who scored twice, won 13 of 22 draws, finished plus-2 and played half the game on a sore knee after blocking a shot.

• Max Pacioretty, whose 21st goal was a honey of a wrist shot.

• Brendan Gallagher, who had EIGHT of the Canadiens 23 shots and, as always, played his heart out, even through the worst of Ottawa’s domination. As bad as it got, the DD line played a few shifts that reminded fans the Montreal Canadiens are an NHL hockey team.

Brian Gionta was OK. Alexei Emelin had seven hits. Lars Eller did not look out of place playing left wing with Pleks and Gionta.

And the special teams were perfect, producing a shorthanded goal (third of the year, 15th career) for Plekanec and a long-overdue power play snipe by Pacioretty.

That’s about it for the highlight reel.

Shall we list the negatives?

• Brandon Prust was on for two Ottawa goals.

• Douglas Murray and Raphael Diaz do not belong in the defence corps of a playoff team.

• Daniel Brière played 10:48, had one shot attempt that missed the net and went 0-4 on draws. Even the Antichambre guys are coming to the painful realization that Brière is washed up.

• Rene Bourque had ZERO shot attempts. He has not been on a scoresheet since returning from injury on Dec. 17. Bourque has played 36 games this season and, to steal a Ray Ferraro quip I heard on Mitch Melnick’s show, he has one more assist than I do.

A win is a win.

The two points will be valuable in April.

Three Olympians – Price, Subban and Plekanec – came to play in Ottawa.

But something ails this team, peeps. The euphoria we all felt Saturday night after that beautifully played win over Chicago began to fade during the loss to New Jersey; and those first two periods in Ottawa were shock therapy for anyone clinging to the notion that this is anything approaching an elite NHL team.

Is it Michel Therrien’s fault?

Hey, he’s no Scotty Bowman. And evidence building up since the playoffs last spring suggests Therrien is no Paul MacLean.

Is his system stifling creative players?

Are Therrien’s obsessive line changes counter-productive?

Has the room tuned him out?

And what about his boss?

Is it the considered judgment of Marc Bergevin that no one in Hamilton is better than Murray, Diaz, Bouillon, Bourque or Brière?

450 Comments

I think the team had to worry about the salary Cap and who has a two way contract. But that said.. size and tenacity was called up. Good. Guys how will throw a punch if Gionta is shoved around. Guys who will physically play a game letting that new first line pass and play.

I laugh at the Therrien haters. Seriously? DEAD LAST. Then he comes along and we are making playoffs and we are going to be serious play off material if the players stay healthy and get some energy. He’s learning a bit about coaching as well. We can all armchair coach but we aren’t in the dressing room with all the egos and getting calls from media second guessing us. Well done Therrien to get us here.

I was happy for Subban!! Hell I actually jumped when he scored. He lead straight to the net. Even on his stomach pushing for the net he Willed that puck in. That’s a leader. He celebrated and pulled the jersey showing his HABS love. (wish we had more of that pride and love here on the boards) Yes it was deserved after they boo’d him every time he touched the puck. IT was revenge and well deserved.

But. IT does reveal what a few people say – he needs some maturity before he will be the best defense-man out there. Why? Bc Bobby Orr wouldn’t have done that, Stevie Y, Gretzky or any of the greats. They would have smiled congratulated the team and skated off.
When Subban does that he’ll be the legend most of us hope for, right now he’s just great but not the Atlas to put the team on.

Well after watching a game like last night if MT hasn’t lost the dressing room he has one hell of a time preparing his team for a game, interpreted as he’s lost the room! And for those feeling good about the 2 points, that was the most embarrassing 2 points I have every seen a team win. And frankly I think we put up a better fight game in and out 2 years ago when we finished last! So in my view finishing in the top 3 playing like this is an embarrassment. Even Price is going to get fed up with this! And if Price goes into a slump which he may this will all come tumbling down.

Well after watching a game like last night if MT hasn’t lost the dressing room he has one hell of a time preparing his team for a game, interpreted as he’s lost the room! And for those feeling good about the 2 points, that was the most embarrassing 2 points I have every seen a team win. And frankly I think we put up a better fight game in and out 2 years ago when we finished last! So in my view finishing in the top 3 playing like this is an embarrassment. Even Price is going to get fed up with this! And if Price goes into a slump which he may this will all come tumbling down.

The good news about these call-ups is that it means if I am not mistaken that Bournival will be on the top three lines. Have to either give the kid quality minutes or send him to Hamilton, he isn´t a fourth liner.

Interesting call-ups. Beaulieu instead of Pateryn? Nattinen? I hope to hell that Nattinen has been ripping it up in the faceoff circle or dominating physically down there, because from what I have seen and read over the last 3-4 years, he is not an offensive option. I guess maybe it lets Eller stay at LW, but otherwise a headscratcher…

Sorry about that. You’re right. Just tried cut & paste with Pale Moon
(based on Firefox) and I got the same page as you did. I am still logged in to RussianBrides this morning, that’s why the cut & paste worked with my three Firefox browsers.

The Habs should make the playoffs..The reality is that in the playoffs the Habs can win but vs most of the potential opponents they will not win by outplaying that team..Fans should get used to the formula that if the Habs win in the playoff it will be based on solid goaltending and timely scoring…

this is a joke right? Stevie Wonder could tell that Murray and Bouillon are barely NHL calibre players. They’ve been holding this team back all season and after almost 50 games i think we should know where we stand…

The Habs last night played exactly like the Toronto Maple Leafs have been playing all season and I hated it. Kudos to Price for this win. Hopefully his teammates show up Saturday and play the way they can to make up for that debacle.

Also, a quick “wag of the finger” to Mr. Millard on TSN for his first period analysis that Price needs to be better in Sochi than he was on the first Senator’s goal. Really? That is what you took from that first period? Really?

Don’t forget to include the clowns at Sportsnet, Mclean and Kypreos couldn’t possibly be better than the netoworks you mention. Just cuz your on the air in 15 mins. with them doesn’t get them off the hook! 😉

A roller-coaster of a game. Felt great after the first 15 minutes, then terrible for the next 40, then pretty good for about 5, then great for about 2. That was an fugly game that Ottawa could have put out of reach after 40. Price was outstanding. His save on Ryan(?) – where he got the heel of his trapper on it coming across – was one of the best of the year. Couple other dynamite glove saves as well.

Offensively, they are having a very hard time generating anything 5-on-5. I think that comes with having Moen as the LW for your best centre, and 4 of the remaining 5 players 5’10” and 190lbs or less. You are not winning many puck battles with forecheckers that size. Add to that Gorges as the D-partner for your best defenceman and it tells you pretty much all you need to know. Moen and Gorges are great team players who fill valuable roles, but top-six LW and top d-pairing they are not. Barring a trade, it will be a couple of years before those spots are filled from within.

I’d love to see Bergevin make a move, but I think his hands are tied. None of the guys that need to be moved have any real market, and the guys that do are the ones you need to get you into the playoffs. I would say that only expendable pieces that have legitimate trade value are Prust, Eller, Moen and maybe Gorges, and not everyone will view them as “expendable”.

I posted last night that Jim Rutherford (Carolina) had sent a league-wide email (as per Bob McKenzie) identifying the players he was willing to move. One of them was Tlusty, who I think could be a good foil for Plekanec on LW. Youngish, Kladno-educated, a good skater who is solidly built and a decent two-way player. Not sure what he would cost, but it might be worth a call from MB to find out….

I didn’t feel all that great after 15 minutes because the goals were opportunistic and in no way reflected the play. Mind you, I was very happy we had those three goals and did not necessarily expect it to get as bad as it did.

Sens fans complaining about PK celebrating after his OT goal…talk about sore losers…if that had of been their golden boy Karlsson would they be bitching I think not…need a reason to hate on them…here is a good one..

never said we were not homers…not sure what your getting at..they are complaining at nothing..how about that A-hole Neil and his stupid hand flayling after he fights..Sens fans think that is wonderful..yet PK cannot celebrate a OT goal after being booed all game long (for nothing I might add)..

Yeah Tourris,Kadri,Marchand,Mike Richards etc …they are all allowed to dance and sing when they score but the delicate flowers in other cities are upset when PK celebrates.Wonder why that is? Wait…I know…its because PK did not have Branch Rickey around to remind him how easily offended red necks can be.

Federal government employees are too cheap and have way too great a sense of entitlement to pay money for hockey tickets. This is one of the major reasons why the Sens can’t sell out their barn. That, and the fact the arena is located just outside Arnprior.

Funny thing is they announced a sell out last night..but there was in fact some empty seats to be seen..not as many as when other teams play..but empty seats none the less..I am sure the Sens fans will blame us for that too..(which they have in the past) they actually expect us to fill the building for them..

Wow Shane you calling oldschoolhockey a “clueless clown” is about as arrogant and classless as it gets today. There was nothing wrong with his post. Take a deep breath Shane, no need to attack like that.

THey are busy working the phones trying to find the best return. As soon as that is complete, i expect we get a full report showing who will be joining the Habs in that trade. Afterall, we have Fucale!

Listening to TSN690 yesterday and Lebrun stated the MB won’t make a panic trade to sacrifice youth for a “chance” to make the Finals. Maybe a one for one or an upgrade but his vision is rebuilding…just got to be patient.

I applaud him for that. I also loved reading that he was waiting for Price when he came off the ice. If the Blackhawks game tells us anything it’s that the players respect Bergevin and want to win for him.

So here we all gather. The Habs pulled out an undeserved win in Ottawa. We all realize that Ottawa played better, that they took it to the Habs, that Price saved the day. We think the entire team should be blown up and replaced with people not as good as Bournival from Hamiliton, then it will all be better.

Google “Ottawa loses 5-4″ and see what you get. They do it all the time. They overcome setbacks, tie it up, take the lead, and lose. Yet still we are inundated with the BS about their great goalies and team, their fantastic management decisions (Yeah Yzerman thanks them for saving his job every time he sees Bishop).

Fans in Montreal are right to be concerned. The higher you get in the standings the lesser your draft portfolio. But right now a team that by all rights should be watching the wildcard slip away has somehow managed to scratch out enough points to be well north of the mystery line. Personality is something you are born with and folks often mistake it for character. This season is character building for several players held by the the team, and also identifies those who are baffled at the whole concept.

Let it be people. Enjoy the ride. Time enough for grumbling soon enough.

PRice stole the game yes..BUT here is how it actually went down.
Montreal played a decent first 17 minutes…..MOntreal was in controland at that point and was playing fine. Yes Ott had more shots but it was nothing that crazy and Ott’s chances were not that spectacular in the first. At that point the Sens started roughing up the HAbs skilled guys….they were chasing them all over the ice after the whistle and hitting and yapping at them and intmidating them. MT responded by putting his big boys out…Ottawa with last change then kept sending out skilled guys once we did that …and they kept repeatedly doing this….they would send out a skilled line once MT threw out his tough guys after OTttawa would intimidate…well played by Maclean.

The two late goals breathed life into the Sens and from there the play changed.

The second period…oh the second period….this was one of the worst periods I have EVER seen ANY Canadiens team play…fortunately it coincided with the best 20 minutes I have ever seen Price play. The guys were just standing around and you could tell Ott had all the momentum. I should also add the HAbs late in the first when the gooning started and all throughout the game for that matter were infuriated with the reffing…it was called like a playoff game..everything was allowed and that does not play well for the Habs. There were tackles, trips, pins, holds, slashes and downright harassing acts away from the paly,etc,etc,etc…the Sens fans around me were laughing and shocked by what was allowed to go on…I just said that is Tim Peel and a HAbs game.

Again the Sens managed to get two quick ones…two beauties I may add and finally it looked as if they had solved the riddle…then a funny thing happened…the shifts after that Montreal came to life and pushed back (actually they did after the tying goal but Andeson made a great save and OTt came back the other way and scored again).

After 2 it is 4-3 and one would think Montreal would wilt …the 3rd period was actually a pretty even period with neither team doing too much…Habs had several attempts at breakaways and missed several passes that should have resulted in breakaways…they did a lot of talking and huddling in beteween whistles at breaks,etc and it was pretty evident they were noticing the spread of the ott d and that Karlsson was easy to draw up ice as he wants to jump every pass. They actually did a great job and should have had at least 3 breakaways that passes were just not cleanly received on…there were also about 3 other times throught the game where Montreal should have had breaks where Ott d were caught on line changes but our d did not look up ice..I saw both DD (twice) and pleks pretty frustrated by that…they expect everyone to have their vision I guess and if it were Maarkov or Subbie they would have…but some of the other d need to look up ice.

The game had a prettyy good first 15 minutes for Montreal…a horrific 2nd period and a bit …and a neutral 3rd period. Not as bad as many making it seem….it got magnified beacuse how just how awful the team was in the second…it really was the worst period I have ever seen the team play..

I always respect your opinion, and I think you’ve analyzed this well. The second period was abominable, but I think you give us too much credit in the first. The Habs had brief moments that resulted in goals but were certainly well outplayed IMO. But you are right in opining that the 2nd period probably taints my view of the whole game.

THe first was notw here the Habs were getting really outchanced..just outshot….Price’s magic was in the second and most goalies could have held the fort in the first…the second was where he became superman. I am not saying Montreal necessarily outplayed Ottawa…but they definitely out executed them in the first and were not awful and were soso ….easily a survivable road first period where other team normally coms out guns a blazing. Montreal alos had a few chances that were not shots on goal aroudn Ottawa net theat were better than The great majority of Sens “shots” in first. TI was not a good game (entertaining as hell though) but it wasn;t the end of the world as it seems on here. Too much standing around in teh d end…any team with sppeed and smarts will pick that apart if they have cntinuous motion and creativity in the offesnive zone…there needs to at least be pressure applied tot he puck carrier..can;t have all 5 flatfootedvs a talented team.

BUT IT’S THE SAME STORY EVERY GAME!!! They can’t play a solid 60 mins. There has been an exception or two (e.g., Chicago most recently) but that’s it. They lucked into two points last night. Law of averages says they can’t do it over a long season. Mark my words: what we’ve been seeing the last month or so is MTL’s true identity…a mediocre team with occasional flashes of inspired play.

Can someone explain how Karlsson won a Norris? He’s more like Diaz than Subban or Keith. Can someone explain to me how Bourque gets to play in the NHL? He must have potentially embarrassing pictures of Mr. Molson or something. One more assist than I have! Heh.

Bourque is signed through 2017 or something crazy. No choice but to play him and hope he snaps out of it. I saw him play in Winnipeg last season, and was shocked at his skill set. I would put him only behind Subban, Eller, Galchenyuk & Pleks as far as skill and speed. He’s also a big dude – but ya, he’s not doing much of anything out there, and hasn’t in some time.

Folks, I’m sure this will not be a popular opinion, but the issue with this team remains the personnel, more so then the coach. We are simply too small.

It really is a paradigm. Those with no size within this group seem to have a ton of heart and skill, while those with size lack the skill and/or desire. Gionta, Gallagher, DD give us everything they have, but how can they gain position when the defenders are 6’5″ and mobile?

It really is going to be a work in progress. We are going to struggle against the flyers, leafs, Sens, etc., until we get some size and the subsequent ability to sustain a forecheck.

Lastly, Parros is a great guy. But he makes me cringe every time I see him on the ice.

I thought he looked good, hair was flowing, stache is fully back. I wish he could play much better hockey and I wish/hope he can still clobber people, but when the camera focused on him I wasn’t cringing.

I support having a heavyweight. I just wish he was a little better. He loses his man defensively too often. Look, I don’t want to nitpick after a win. I like George. I hope he hammers someone on Saturday night. I’ll leave it there. Cheers, CJ

Price stole one..and I have never said that before. I agree with everyone about the deadwood. But Moen is on that list. Does nothing on offense..and is poor defensively. He actually cost us 2 goals. Karlsson and then failed to skate out of his own end..sent it back to the d.who was covered. It resulted in an icing and then MacArthur scores. Hate M.T.

actually the teams that compete for cups get more balanced scoring for their 3rd and 4th line. so it’s not really good enough but i guess if you have low expectations and want only 3 goals from him for the year you’re right.

He missed an assignment that led to Karlsson goal. In his defence, he was caught out on an icing and the Sens has fresh legs.

Every single inch of ice must be contested. A second late and a dollar shot on the coverage and the puck ends up in our net. There are many guys who I feel deserve much more criticism them Moen. Playing with Parros you really are playing a man short. Now, not only are you responsible for your assignment, but you are keeping an eye on George to make sure he is in position.

When you speak of Price, you mention that you have never said he stole a game before. Are you just tuning in? Guy is unbelievable. His play this season has elevated his status to top three in the world right now. I’d go as far as saying he is best considering the defence.

1) Forget what we say about PK and Markov etc … this team actually rises and falls on the effectiveness of Emelin. When he is on, playing as a slightly better version of Gorges, the other team takes a bit longer to get in the zone, their forecheck is beat by quick transition and then …

2) Two Deep forecheck. Not “le swarm” but legitimately getting two guys deep to tie up the other team and lead to a turnover, rotate to the slot/backend and keep the pressure on and outside of our zone.

Yep, that’s really it. After that everything is gravy.

And for the moaners with desperate lives who secretly want the habs to lose, to feed into their own warped personal psychoses … expect a huge effort against Toronto and a win. It’s in the bag

Good comments today. Thanks to everyone for expressing their opinions with respect. When we are all pushing for the same result, but have differing opinions on how to get there, it makes for great dialogue.

I’m trying to be patient and logical about how we will get to where we all want to be, but I want it to happen ASAP too!

I’m not a huge Therrien fan, but as someone mentioned, this is a results-oriented business and I can’t see him being fired unless we miss the playoffs. In my opinion, Bergevin is the one who needs to improve this team, and give Therrien more to work with.

Go Habs Go!!

“Fans are great, but the quickest way to start losing is to listen to them.” – Sam Pollock

I think MB wants to secure a playoff position as early as possible, cause lets face it, money is the motivational factor for the administration. He is not doing much as we are slowly moving towards that goal, so while looking bad sometimes, we are still making progress. The trades will come after we secure a playoff position, so the repercussions of roser players for picks won’t make a difference.

I don’t know if Therrien has lost the room, but a few thoughts from here.

Price: Does not need a head coach. Only Stephane Waite
Plekanec: Does not need a head coach and is smarter than the 3 behind the bench combined. The consummate pro and team leader.

Subban: Does not need a head coach especially one that treats him like a yearling colt endlessly trying to ‘break’ him and reign him in.

The rest of the guys?
you go play a game and besides the obvious teacher’s pets, you never know if you will play 8 minutes or 21 minutes – and you never know who your linemates will be from 1 shift to the next.

Now add in confusion – an almost moronic defensive system few seem to understand that colapses on its goalie and forced 2 Dmen behind the net or in the corners at the same time, and puts uneeded pressure on forwards.

And as for our defensive system; we had one of the best D-corps in the league before Christmas, and now things have fallen apart a bit.

I believe it’s because the forwards are not backchecking effectively.
This comes from the increased need to score more goals than we had been.

Earlier in the season, Therrien’s focus was ‘team defence’, and we executed that beautifully. An incredible record.

But along with that came diminished goal-scoring.

Therrien and his team seem to be working to try to increase goal-scoring while keeping the forwards defensively responsible. This is a pretty tall order, especially when you don’t have superstar scorers in the roster; it requires a hell of a lot more skating from the forwards, who have to press, press, press in the o-zone, then bust their arses to get back to help defend.

In my opinion, this is a work in progress, and the team seems to have gone too far in the opposite direction (too much forward pressure, not enough d-zone responsibility), but I’m fairly sure that the coaching team sees this too – you’d have to be blind not to – and will try to make adjustments so that they can keep offense, but not so much as to compromise defence so much!

Whoah! Roller coaster ride! Is that what Price’s critics or former critics might call “stealing a win”? Sensational. Canada will have great goaltending in Sochi.
Habs need a new coach. Paul McLean’s mustache could do a better job.

The chief reason why M. Bergevin may not be able to promote Tinordi, Beaulieu or Patteryn is the salary cap. The Canadiens may be right against the cap so that even a starting salary on top of any players cut would push them over the limit. I wonder, too, if Scott Gomez’s salary penalizes the Canadians this last year. Surely Brière’s and Bourque’s pay are expensive as is Gionta’s. A minor reason considering how well those 3 defensemen are playing is the Bergevin wants them to develop confidently and extensively before promoting them. That is the path that Chicago chose.

Crazy game last night, full of excitement for both the right and wrong reasons.

Something I think that we need to keep in mind, however, is perspective.

What do I mean by perspective?
Here’s my opinion, for those who care to listen/read:

Perspective Series, Part I:

We have to look at the team we have, and compare where we are in the standings to where we thought we’d be at the beginning of the season.

We are doing better than we thought we would in the standings. We all understand that we are in the midst of a rebuild, with a new GM bringing bigger youth through the ranks, and no plans to fill the team with rentals or overpaid UFAs (I think this is a good thing, btw), and yet here we are, 50 games in, only 2 points from the top of the Division.

This idea that we are ‘worse than our record’ makes no sense, and neither does the term ‘overacheiving’.

Each team in the NHL is exactly as good or as bad as their record, regardless of whether they have won games by 8 goals or lost them by 8 goals, or lost or won every game by one goal. The only thing that counts is a team’s record. If a team wins by a huge margin and then doesn’t show up for four games…. that’s how good that team is.

As we see with Rene Bourque, being good is as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing; a team can have amazing players who are in the top-10 in NHL scoring, but whose bottom two lines collapse any time they are put under pressure and a goalie who couldn’t stop anything.

The Habs have lost some stinkers, have played badly, and have had only 6 people show up for some games… but we’ve managed to win 26 of our 47 games, and got points from 5 more.

The only thing that ‘overachieving’ means is that they have ‘exceeded expectations’. These expectations are usually made by media types who don’t like to be proven wrong, so rather than saying
“Man, I got that one REALLY wrong, yet again! I’m really not cut out for this whole ‘accurately predicting the future’ thing… perhaps I should look into another line of work, say, cesspool-cleaning,”

they blame teams for making them look stupid.

“I said at the beginning of the season that Montreal would finish in 28th place, and here they are near the top of their division. THEY ARE OVERACHIEVING!! They won’t last! They will drop like a stone. Why? Because I have to be right or TSN will fire my sorry buttinski.”

That could very well be the best game that he’ll play all year, including the Olympics (if he gets to play, that is). But when picking the starter, you have to ask yourself, “Is Luongo capable of playing a game like that?”

If the answer is “probably not” then you have to go with the guy who can.

Right on Booney! I saw exactly the same game as you. However I thought you may have been too kind to Gio and Yemelin. Gio is washed up too and Yems doesn’t look like the same guy he was prior to his injury. He seems tentative when it comes to taking the body and gives the puck away too much for my liking. Don’t know what’s on MB’s mind for trades but I hope it’s good.

Well I would like to see them with the big club, do you think Murray and Cube are better? Diaz? maybe but I believe they have to bring some of these guys up to get them some experience.

As for replacements for Bourque, Briere Gionta in the short term, yes that is the problem, but when White and Chucky are back you could definitely get rid of two of those, likely Bourque and Briere. Sit them or send them down. I know they are vets but I don’t see the compete level that they need to have.

see posting above..another reason why Tinordi, Patyern et all are in Hamilton is due to the salary cap..if MB brings them up it could put the club over the cap. Last time I looked the Club has very little room. I agree something has to be done with Bork and letting Gionta walk in the summer is possible.

I suspect when Briere had success in the playoffs he also had pretty good success in the regular season…I am not sure why many posters are stating that we have to keep Briere for the playoffs…Is there a magic potion that he will drink after 82 games that will turn him into a different player for the first playoff game? Watching Briere i just dont see the same compete and skill level he had before…he will get a few goals(10 to 12) based on experience but i dont see any playoff magic from him.

Don’t want it all now, but want to know we may have a chance in a couple of years.

I want a coach that makes sensible logical moves. I want a coach who doesn’t play favourites, who does not bench arguable the games best defence man but lets the most useless player to ever lace-up (Bourque) for the Habs get opportunity after opportunity on the PP with great line mates. I want a coach who understands that DD is not an elite player but will sacrifice more talented players like Eller and even Briere to protect his boy. I want a coach who is stable emotionally, not the one that looks like he just sniffed glue after the Hawks game or the one who deliberately loses a game against Philly to prove a point. I want a coach that understands that he does not have a grinding team and that he is not even close. i want a coach who understands that were it not for his goaler he would be close to last place in the division. I want a coach that understands that breaking up one of the best defensive tandems in the league (Markov, Subban) is idiotic. I want a coach that when he does make a mistake like Markov, Subban can correct it. I want a coach who understands that the PP is now a laughing stock in the league and who can actually correct it…….

little brian gionta has floated in more shifts than any could count. he gets the opposite of benching by way of powerplay time, penanalty kill time, first line regular shifts, overtime four on four, and the last minute of most periods and every game. tell me his play warrants that kind of ice time

I wouldn’t be surprised if that rumour is purposefully out there, I suspect MB is trying to trade him. I can’t see GIonta coming back, we need less undersized forwards in our lineup. I have nothing against Gionta, but as long as Gallagher, DD are already on the team that is enough.

You may be very well right Burly. I do like Gionta as well but unless they can get him cheap we need less small forwards.

The only issue is who do we get to replace our top 6 if Gio is gone. This team is already struggling on offense and Briere won’t be a hab next year either. hopefully they can get a winger who can score 20 plus.

With Bourque’s struggles as well he is no more than a third line guy and he isn’t even producing enough to be on there. I am not sure he can be looked at as a potential 20 plus goal guy anymore

Kooch that is the dilemma. Going forward this team needs to be rid of Bourque, Briere and Gionta, but how does one replace those players with top 6 or top 9 talent? MB has work to do this season and off season.

I like Gionta. I agree, he gives the team everything he has. That said, if he returns next year it will be a mistake. It’s nothing personnel, but we need size. Look at the Sens defence. We can not get anywhere near the net against this team.

As a child he was used in an experimental water flotation program which the U.S. Navy did in secrecy. They discovered a way to make him actually stay above water with no effort while most objects of similar makeup would sink. The program failed to recognize however, that the water was frozen thus the reason he wasn’t sinking. Ever since he has been known as “The Float”.

Carey! Carey! Carey! He is really coming into his own and if it were not for him I don’t think we would be in a playoff position.

MB really needs to trade Briere for even a 3rd rounder if he can get it. Let a kid play in his spot. He is done.

Sadly when Emelin went down last night I was hoping he would miss a few games. PK and Markov need to be reunited. Emelin has not been playing well and hopefully he will return to his old self next season. Right now he is a real liability out there.

Montreal has now played 48 games, the same number as last season’s lockout season. Here are the stats:

2012-13 – 29/14/5/63points/149GF/126GA

2013-14 – 27/16/5/59 points/123GF/115GA

Two years ago Montreal finished dead last in the conference. Were they really that bad? Probably not. Last year, the Habs finished 2nd in the conference. Were they really that good? Probably not. A four point difference comparing last year and this year is the fine line between chaos and creation.

I still think you have to view Montreal as a team in transition. Most fans want it all now, which I guess is the nature of being a fan. However, when you examine the moves that MB made (or didn’t make) over the off season, it’s safe to say that the Habs are doing OK as they scratch and claw to hold down 3red place in their division. They may eventually fall back to bubble status during the last 34 games but that’s the level most of us expected them to be at back in October. It is what it is.

Could Guy Boucher make a difference if he replaced Michel Therrien? Well there is always the honeymoon phase for any newly appointed coach. That never impresses me too much. I don’t think that Boucher could make Price, Subban, Markov, MaxPac or Pleks play any better than they are right now. He might get a bit more out of Gallagher, Eller and Emelin but that would have to come at the expense of some other player’s ice time. He certainly can’t make Gionta, Briere or Bourque turn back the clock. Or increase the talent level of spare parts such as Murray, Bouillon, Parros or Moen. I also doubt that there is any magic wand to fast track the maturation process for Bournival, Leblanc, Beaulieu or Tinordi.

Are the Habs an excellent team playing below expectations? Are they on the road to greatness? Let’s stay real here. It certainly would be great to see a few more goals and better puck possession consistency. However, the team is realistically one of many that are in the middle of the NHL pack (10th-20th). They have lots to be excited about but they also have too many holes in the line-up to truly contend come May or June. Some of us might be able to enjoy the team a bit more if we would only accept that realization.

Tough to enjoy the game when your team collapses while in a lucky 3-0 position. I agree with your overall assessment and I am as much a fanatic as the next Habs fan, just frustrated with the waiting time and need to “trust” MB when you’ve seen a couple of poor decisions like Briere, DD’s long term contract and the disasters that the Ghost has straddled us with like Bourque (although I was hopeful because of his size when he replaced Cammy), Gorges long term, the Gomez debacle, etc…

Well stated 24. MB has made some questionable, perhaps bad signings, but he also hasn’t done any stupid short term success trades which would then create a continuance on never becoming a contender. Until we have better depth, more high end scoring talent, this team has to wait until the prospects develop. It is a long and painful road, but as you say along the way we can try enjoy the wins and enjoy the development of some of our individual talent.

Boucher is in his Secret Lair awaiting the completion of his NHL Doomsday Device. He’s been having trouble with the unions so the project has been continually set back. When ready, the 1-3-1 Device will make league headquarters in NY tremble in fear!

Hi Mike. I think someone should voice the opinion that the team is flatlining right now and is desparately in need of some sort of shock treatment. The mildest form would be some benchings and call ups, especially on D where we have prospects with NHL experience, and NHLers with limited value. Second level would be a trade. I won’t go through the list. Suffice it to say that there are only a half dozen or so players I would consider untouchable. Trading a significant player like GIonta would likely serve as a wake up call to all concerned. The third level of shock treatment would be to fire the coach. There is a gathering body of evidence that he is running out if motivational ideas.

By the way, thanks for asking.

The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane.
Mark Twain

I can’t imagine who would complain about Subban’s celebration, at the end of last night’s game, on this website. I can see fans of other teams doing it though because, well, they wish they had Subban on their team and because they don’t, they have to hate. People have been complaining about “today’s” athletes for decades now. Everything from,’ millionaires who don’t care’ to ‘free agency has ruined the game’ and ‘players don’t show any loyalty anymore’. I’m glad that Subban flashed the logo because, well, he’s showing pride in his team. What the hell is wrong with that. He’s clearly a team player. Not the selfish distraction others seem to think he is.

I had grown disenchanted with Carey Price’s play over the last few years. He just never seemed to make the big save when it was needed. This year, it seems that he’s blossomed into the goalie he was touted to be. Good for him!! Credit is due where credit is deserved and #31 is the biggest reason that the Habs are where they are this year. Maybe there is something to those Molson Cups after all.

We have four studs that bring it every game: Price (Budaj has been good when he plays), Subban, Plekanec, and Gallagher.

Max is no Gallagher but he does bring something to the table that is needed with his goal scoring ability but he hasn’t laid anyone out since being suspended for hitting Letang.

Desharnias has restored my faith in him. I will be honest, I hated the signing, not because I think he sucks but because I am worried that he will take opportunities away from Eller and Galchenyuk. With that said, Desharnais has been our best offensive centre.

Markov is such a great player, notwithstanding periodic defensive laspes. We need this guy.

Eller and Galchenyuk are solid players but they leave me wanting more out of them.

The rest of this team….just not good enough. I do enjoy watching Murray and Emelin smashing people but they are defensive liabilities. Diaz, Bouillon, and Gorges are nothing more than #6-7 defencemen. Prust, White, and Moen hardly hit or fight anyone and Parros can’t fight anyone. White has brought some face-off skils but the lot of these guys have been unispiring.

Gionta has been reliable on the defensive side and has shown signs of coming to life offensively but for 5mil per season we need more out of this guy.

Bourque is a mystery, some games he skates hard while playing a physical game, other games he rides the pine. In any event, regardless of which Bourque we see, he contributes very little to this team.

Briere does contribute when getting decent ice time. Briere is a catch 22, the more you play him, the more he scores; however, the more you play him, the weaker the team defence becomes.

Bournival, seriously just send him to the minors. This guy needs ice time to develope and he will not get it under MT.

Terrien, I don’t like this guys coaching skill. I think that his meritocracy is a complete joke, should be called vetocracy…he doesn’t trust the young guys, even though we have a few that would help out. Some of his line combos are completly baffling. The worst part about Terrien is the style of hockey that he is trying to employ: grind game, dump and chase…this does not work with our team man! Last year he had the right idea, this team was dangerous and flying all over the play. What is the difference? Not the fact that we lost Colby Armstrong, no but the fact that we are trying to “grind” wins out. Kudos however for finally trying something different on the PP.

Don’t think of Max as a powerforward. Think of him as a kessel type player and that is exactly what you get. He is fast and has a heck of a shot. He is the only one of the team who will score 30 plus this year

You know I agree with everything you have here. I think Eller and Chucky have digressed a bit this year. The kid line showed promise early on but MT disolved it and all three have dropped in production. Bournival will at some point be a good player in the NHL as proven when he plays with Pleks, there just isn’t enough room on the ice for everyone to play with Mr. Everything. We have 4 or 5 that could easily go and the team would not feel the pain. I’m sure that by playoffs, Beaulieu, Pateryn and Tinordi will be ready and maybe even Andrigetto. I say give them a chance.

“Being on the PP doesn’t make you an offensive threat anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
Henry Ford